"The wise leader knows what is happening in a group by
being aware of what is happening here and now.
This is more potent than wandering off into various theories or making complex
interpretations of the situation at hand.
Stillness, clarity, and consciousness are more immediate than any number of
expeditions into the distant lands of one's mind.
Such expeditions, however stimulating, distract both the leader and the group
members from what is actually happening.
By staying present and aware of what is happening, the leader can do less yet
achieve more."
- Translated by
John Heider, 1985,
Chapter 47

"No need to go outside a door
To see totality
Or look out of a window
For seeing what will always be
Going out you go astray
At home and center all is one
The seer doesn't have to do
To see that everything is done."
- Translated by
Jim Clatfelter, 2001, Chapter 47

"Without traveling, we
could know the world.
Without looking through the window, we could see the Tao of heaven.
The farther you go, the less you know.
Thus the sage knows without traveling.
He knows things without actually seeing them.
He success without effort."
- Translated by
Tienzen Gong,
Chapter 47

"Don't step outside your
door. Know the social world.
Don't look out the window. See the natural guide.
The farther you go
the less you know what to do.
Using this: Sages don't go anywhere and yet know what to do.
Don't see and yet name things.
Don't deem-act and yet accomplish. "
- Translated by
Chad Hansen,
Chapter 47

"You don't have to leave
your room
to understand what's happening in the world.
You don't have to look out the window
to appreciate the beauty of heaven.
The farther you wander,
the less you know.
The Masters don't wander around
They know.
They don't just look.
They understand.
They don't do anything,
but the work gets done."
- Translated by
Ron Hogan, Chapter
47

"A man may know the world without leaving his own home.
Through his windows he can see the supreme Tao.
The further afield he goes the less likely is he to find it.
Therefore the wise man knows without travelling,
names things without seeing them, and accomplishes everything without action."
- Translated by
Robert Gorn-Old,
1904, Chapter 47

"Without going out the door, you can know Heaven below
(the sacred body).
Without looking through a window, you can see Heaven’s Tao.
The more you go away from yourself, the less you perceive.
The sage does not go out, yet knows;
does not look, yet names;
does not do, yet finishes."
- Translated by
Barbara Tovey,
2002, Chapter 47

"Without opening your door,
you can know the whole world.
Without looking out your window,
you can understand the way of the Tao.

The more knowledge you seek,
the less you will understand.

The Master understands without leaving,
sees clearly without looking,
accomplishes much without doing anything."
- Translated by
John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 47

"Without
leaving your house
without looking outside
you can understand
the whole world.
The more you search
the less you will find
the more information you acquire
the less you will know
the more you travel
the less you will feel at home.
Arrive without leaving
see without looking
do nothing yet everything."
- Translated by
Tom Kunesh,
Chapter 47

"One need not pass his threshold to comprehend all that is under Heaven,
nor to look out from his lattice to behold the Tao Celestial.
Nay! but
the farther a man goeth, the less he knoweth.
The
sages acquired their knowledge without travel; they named all things
aright without beholding them; and, acting without aim, fulfilled their wills."
- Translated by
Aleister Crowley, 1918, Chapter 47

"You can know the whole world without going out the
door,
You can know the Way of Heaven without looking out the window.
The further afield you go, the less you know.
The Tao–Master knows without going out;
understands without looking;
achieves without ado."
- Translated by
George Cronk,
1999, Chapter 47

"Without going out-of-doors, one can know all he needs to know.
Without
even looking out of his window, one can grasp the nature of everything.
Without going beyond his own nature, one can achieve ultimate wisdom.
Therefore the intelligent man knows all he needs to know without going
away,
And he sees all he needs to see without looking elsewhere,
And
does all he needs to do without undue exertion."
- Translated by
Archie J. Bahm, 1958, Chapter 47

"Without going out of my door I know the Universe.
Without opening my window I perceive Heavenly Tao.
The more I go abroad, the less I understand.
That is why the self-controlled man arrives without going,
names things without seeing them, perfects without activity."
- Translated by
Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 47

"There is no need
to run outsideFor better seeing,Nor to peer from a window. Rather
abideAt the center of your being;For the more you leave it, the less you
learn.Search your heart and seeIf he is wise who takes each turn:The
way to do is to be."
- Translated by
Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 47

"There are those who understand all about the Empire
without going out of doors.
There are those who see the course of Heaven without peeping through the
lattice.
The further one goes in pursuit of Tao the less one knows of it.
Thus the Sage has knowledge without going in quest;
he can identify things without seeing them;
and he achieves results
without working."
- Translated by
Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 47

"Without going out of the door
One can know the whole world;
Without peeping out of the window
One can see the Tao of heaven.
The further one travels
The less one knows.
Therefore the Sage knows everything without travelling;
He names everything without seeing it;
He accomplishes everything without doing it."
- Translated by
Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 47

"Without leaving his door
He knows everything under heaven.
Without looking out of his window
He knows all the ways of heaven.
For the further one travels
The less one knows.
Therefore the Sage arrives without going,
Sees all without looking,
Does nothing, yet achieves everything."
- Translated by
Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 47

Daodejing by Laozi: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script,
detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin (tone#), German, French and English.
This is an outstanding resource for serious students of the Tao Te Ching.

Yellow Bridge
Dao De Jing Comparison Table Provides side by side comparisons of
translations of the Tao Te Ching by James Legge, D. T. Suzuki, and Dwight
Goddard. Chinese characters for each paragraph in the Chapter are on the
left; place your cursor over the Chinese characters to see the Hanyu Pinyin
(1982) Romanization of the Chinese character and a list of meanings.

Center Tao.
Includes a brief commentary on each Chapter. A keyword glossary for each
chapter is provided.

Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition
By Jonathan Star. Translation, commentary and research tools. New
York, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Penguin, 2001. Concordance, tables, appendices,
349 pages. A new rendition of the Tao Te Ching is provided, then a
verbatim translation with extensive notes. Detailed tables for each verse
provide line number, all the Chinese characters, Wade-Giles (1892) Romanization, and a list of meanings for each character. An excellent
print reference tool!

Two Visions of the Way: A Study of the Wang Pi and the Ho-Shang Kung Commentaries on the Lao-Tzu.
By Professor by Alan Kam-Leung Chan. SUNY Series in Chinese
Philosophy and Culture. State University of New York Press, 1991.
Index, bibliography, glossary, notes, 314 pages.
ISBN: 0791404560.

Chinese Reading of the Daodejing
Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi with Critical Text and Translation.
By Professor Rudolf G. Wagner. A SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and
Culture. English and Mandarin Chinese Edition.
State University of New York Press; Bilingual edition (October 2003). 540
pages. ISBN: 978-0791451823.
Wang Bi (Wang Pi, Fusi), 226-249 CE,
Commentary on the Tao Te
Ching.

Lao-tzu's Taoteching
Translated by Red Pine (Bill Porter). Includes many brief selected
commentaries for each Chapter draw from commentaries in the past
2,000 years. Provides a verbatim translation and shows the text in Chinese
characters. San Francisco, Mercury House, 1996, Second Edition, 184 pages.
An invaluable resource for commentaries.